Council tax banding

p00hsticks

GaleSF63 said:

You need to get rid of the mindset that they are all out to make you pay more council tax. The VOA don't care what band you are in from a financial point of view. They don't benefit from leaving you in a higher band. The council, who may, don't have any say in what band your property is placed.

The council don't benefit either - that's not how council tax works. The Local Authority decide how much they need to raise in total from council tax and then apportion that amount across all the residences in the area according to the council tax bandings - the higher tha band the more you pay. So if one property moves down a band and pays a bit less the next year, every other property will end up paying a tiny tiny fraction more to compensate - the overall revenue for the council doesn't drop. And it doesn't rise if an individual property is raised up a band either

GaleSF63

p00hsticks said:

GaleSF63 said:

You need to get rid of the mindset that they are all out to make you pay more council tax. The VOA don't care what band you are in from a financial point of view. They don't benefit from leaving you in a higher band. The council, who may, don't have any say in what band your property is placed.

The council don't benefit either - that's not how council tax works. The Local Authority decide how much they need to raise in total from council tax and then apportion that amount across all the residences in the area according to the council tax bandings - the higher tha band the more you pay. So if one property moves down a band and pays a bit less the next year, every other property will end up paying a tiny tiny fraction more to compensate - the overall revenue for the council doesn't drop. And it doesn't rise if an individual property is raised up a band either

Ah, yes, thank you - I knew there was something but couldn't remember what it was or whether they benefitted at all. Hence the "may".

lincroft1710

Kuga247 said:

Thanks for third paragraph sorry to say I sent my bundle information over in email format i when I read the bundle some of the comparable properties information is not what I sent how would you explain it to a panel who will have already read my bundle how could anyone stay calm 

According a previous post by you, there are just some pages out of order. VT panel members are both used to seeing a variety of differently prepared bundles and also have sufficient intelligence to realise if a few pages are out of order. Just simply explain whereabouts in the bundle these pages should be.


Absolutely no reason not to stay calm!

Kuga247

Sorry to say some of information is not how I sent not same as I sent how can I keep calm 

lincroft1710

Kuga247 said:

Sorry to say some of information is not how I sent not same as I sent how can I keep calm 

There is no point in not keeping calm!


If there was anything missing from the bundle you should have informed the VOA. If items are just out of order, then as I have said before just tell the members the correct order. To repeat, there is no point in not keeping calm. You have spent far too much time and energy arguing and moaning about what you have perceived as unfairness, injustices and lack of co-operation. Concentrate on how you will present your evidence and remaining calm and collected. You will be appearing in front of a 2 person tribunal who will decide the correctness or otherwise of your CT band, not condemning you to the guillotine!

Kuga247

It was adjourned waiting for new date 

Purlain

JIL said:

I used right move or zoopla, which had sold prices on it and also current properties for sale which had floor plans and council tax banding.

I'm not sure why you are having trouble with links, the link I provided earlier has links on it to every thing you need to know.

Read all this.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change

Hi, it is so encouraging to see so many people here taking the challenge to the tribunal and successfully have the band lowered even before the hearing taking place. I have my remote hearing booked in May 2022.
My house used to have a garage to the side. Before the original valuation in 1990s, the garage was converted to a two storey house by the previous owner. Hence, it was valued as the highest among all the properties on the same street and put in Band E. However the garage-converted house was then completely separated from the main house on land registry and subsequently sold as a single bedroom house by the previous owner. This single bedroom house has since been paying its own council tax in Band C and rented out. In 2010, I bought the main house without the garage-converted house for the price of £250k. However, the main house I bought still remains in the same band E despite the fact it is now actually one of the smallest and lowest valued properties on the same street due to the garage-converted house split from the main house. Not only the main house has become smaller compared to the other similar properties, it has also suffered loss of privacy because the garage-converted house has its back door opening to the main house's garden. Due to these facts, the local estate agents all agreed that my house is valued at least 15 to 20% less than the similar properties. Shockingly, it remains in the highest band among all the properties on the same street. In fact, nearly 80% of the properties on this street are in the lower band D. I appealed to the valuation office last year thinking my case was so straightforward but only for them to decline and insist that they had to stick to the valuation done in 1990s. 
I am now hoping to receive a call from them to offer to drop it to band D before the hearing date. I wonder if it is a bullying strategy by VOA to reject all the appeals even there is sufficient evidence to lower the band expecting most of the people wouldn't have the energy or knowledge to take it to the tribunal.  

lincroft1710

Purlain said:

JIL said:

I used right move or zoopla, which had sold prices on it and also current properties for sale which had floor plans and council tax banding.

I'm not sure why you are having trouble with links, the link I provided earlier has links on it to every thing you need to know.

Read all this.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change

Hi, it is so encouraging to see so many people here taking the challenge to the tribunal and successfully have the band lowered even before the hearing taking place. I have my remote hearing booked in May 2022.
My house used to have a garage to the side. Before the original valuation in 1990s, the garage was converted to a two storey house by the previous owner. Hence, it was valued as the highest among all the properties on the same street and put in Band E. However the garage-converted house was then completely separated from the main house on land registry and subsequently sold as a single bedroom house by the previous owner. This single bedroom house has since been paying its own council tax in Band C and rented out. In 2010, I bought the main house without the garage-converted house for the price of £250k. However, the main house I bought still remains in the same band E despite the fact it is now actually one of the smallest and lowest valued properties on the same street due to the garage-converted house split from the main house. Not only the main house has become smaller compared to the other similar properties, it has also suffered loss of privacy because the garage-converted house has its back door opening to the main house's garden. Due to these facts, the local estate agents all agreed that my house is valued at least 15 to 20% less than the similar properties. Shockingly, it remains in the highest band among all the properties on the same street. In fact, nearly 80% of the properties on this street are in the lower band D. I appealed to the valuation office last year thinking my case was so straightforward but only for them to decline and insist that they had to stick to the valuation done in 1990s. 
I am now hoping to receive a call from them to offer to drop it to band D before the hearing date. I wonder if it is a bullying strategy by VOA to reject all the appeals even there is sufficient evidence to lower the band expecting most of the people wouldn't have the energy or knowledge to take it to the tribunal.  

If you bought the house 11 years ago, how were you able to make a valid appeal? 


I don't know if "bullying" is the right term. They may actually have evidence to support their belief Band E is correct. But it could be a generic rejection letter sent because they have had no time to investigate or as you  imply because they hope some CT payers will decide the matter is not worth pursuing. 

Kuga247

Bullying sounds about right they only give you information that they think is correct I have found numerous similar properties to mine but they have a answer to the reasons for their tax bands ie under review/smaller ??? My tribunal is in May it’s been over a year lost count of case worker who have looked into my banding ?Spoke to a couple of people who went to tribunal both with very positive cases their properties where smaller to neighbouring properties but in higher banding yet they lost the day ,

Purlain

lincroft1710 said:

Purlain said:

JIL said:

I used right move or zoopla, which had sold prices on it and also current properties for sale which had floor plans and council tax banding.

I'm not sure why you are having trouble with links, the link I provided earlier has links on it to every thing you need to know.

Read all this.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change

Hi, it is so encouraging to see so many people here taking the challenge to the tribunal and successfully have the band lowered even before the hearing taking place. I have my remote hearing booked in May 2022.
My house used to have a garage to the side. Before the original valuation in 1990s, the garage was converted to a two storey house by the previous owner. Hence, it was valued as the highest among all the properties on the same street and put in Band E. However the garage-converted house was then completely separated from the main house on land registry and subsequently sold as a single bedroom house by the previous owner. This single bedroom house has since been paying its own council tax in Band C and rented out. In 2010, I bought the main house without the garage-converted house for the price of £250k. However, the main house I bought still remains in the same band E despite the fact it is now actually one of the smallest and lowest valued properties on the same street due to the garage-converted house split from the main house. Not only the main house has become smaller compared to the other similar properties, it has also suffered loss of privacy because the garage-converted house has its back door opening to the main house's garden. Due to these facts, the local estate agents all agreed that my house is valued at least 15 to 20% less than the similar properties. Shockingly, it remains in the highest band among all the properties on the same street. In fact, nearly 80% of the properties on this street are in the lower band D. I appealed to the valuation office last year thinking my case was so straightforward but only for them to decline and insist that they had to stick to the valuation done in 1990s. 
I am now hoping to receive a call from them to offer to drop it to band D before the hearing date. I wonder if it is a bullying strategy by VOA to reject all the appeals even there is sufficient evidence to lower the band expecting most of the people wouldn't have the energy or knowledge to take it to the tribunal.  

If you bought the house 11 years ago, how were you able to make a valid appeal? 


I don't know if "bullying" is the right term. They may actually have evidence to support their belief Band E is correct. But it could be a generic rejection letter sent because they have had no time to investigate or as you  imply because they hope some CT payers will decide the matter is not worth pursuing. 

Does it matter how long ago the house was purchased? They didn't reject it because it was bought 11 years. I actually emailed them back to challenge their decision. They just kept giving the same reason that it was the right valuation in 1990s.